The 2011 ASHS Annual Conference

The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in the National Wildlife Federation’s Schoolyard Habitat Program (SYHP) had an effect on the standardized science test scores and individual classroom science grades of fourth grade primary public school students in Houston, TX. To conduct the study, five pairs of Houston elementary schools were matched by city vicinity, as well as student demographics of ethnicity and economics. The treatment group included a total of 306 fourth grade students whose teachers were using the National Wildlife Federation’s SYHP. The control group consisted of a total of 370 fourth grade students whose teachers used a more traditional curriculum. To measure academic achievement, standardized test score (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) were compared between the treatment and control groups. Treatment and control group classroom science grades were also compared using a science test. Participation and activity within the garden habitats by individual classroom treatment group teachers were considered in analyses. In addition, students were subjected to a test seeking their feelings on the environment and their effect on it. Results indicate the value of outdoor experimental learning in garden settings to student learning.